RESOURCES

Below are links to websites that can help you enjoy nature.

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARKS AND RECREATION SITES

American Park Ratings, Visitation, and the Best Times to Visit

Ratings of American parks by Consumer Reports and GoOutsideBook.com in an interactive map with photos and links

U.S. national parks ranked by annual visitation

Best times to visit popular North American national parks, according to publisher Lonely Planet

U.S. Federal Agencies That Administer Public Lands

National Park Service - This agency features many of the best and most popular American parks.

U.S. Forest Service - This agency administers national forests, which include some outstanding parks, such as Washington’s Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and Colorado’s Maroon Bells Scenic Area.

Bureau of Land Management - The bureau is responsible for many public lands that typically have fewer facilities. Prime examples would be New Mexico’s Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument and Utah’s Corona Arch, which graces the cover of Go Outside and Come Back Better.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - This agency manages wildlife refuges, like Virginia’s Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.

Native American Parks

Navajo Nation Parks & Recreation - Some of the most spectacular sights in the desert Southwest, like Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, can be found within the Navajo Nation.

Havasupai Indian Reservation - Home to Havasu Canyon and Havasu Falls, near Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park.

Private Nonprofit Organizations That Open Their Lands to the Public

The Nature Conservancy - This organization preserves many special places, like Bear Rocks Preserve in West Virginia.

National Audubon Society - This organization conserves habitats for birds and other wildlife. An example is the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Florida.

Outside the United States

Parks Canada - More great scenery can be found north of the border.

OTHER OUTDOOR INFORMATION

General

U.S. Government’s Outdoor Recreation Website - Find places to see, reserve a tour or campsite, and more.

Sun and moon - If you’re photographing the sun or the moon, you can know exactly where they’ll be and when.
www.timeanddate.com/astronomy
U.S. Naval Observatory's Sun/Moon Altitude & Azimuth Calculator

NOAA's magnetic declination tools - If you’re going to use a compass, you’ll need to know the difference in angle between magnetic north and true north.

NOAA's tide predictions - Explore life in the intertidal zone.